Lawrence Susskind speaks on "Ensuring Durable Energy Transition" at MITEI's Annual Research Conference

Our nation's quest to meet its decarbonization goals is facing a surprising challenger: local opposition to large-scale renewable energy projects. A recent report from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law has brought to light an unexpected number of local ordinances and opposition against renewable energy projects.

Why the Opposition?

While it's easy to dismiss these objections as NIMBYism (Not-In-My-Backyard-ism), our research team at MIT found that these concerns often stem from valid issues. Environmental and aesthetic harm, potential property value decreases, health threats, improper Tribal consultation, and accountability gaps are among the reasons driving opposition.

The Need for a National Database

Despite these widespread issues, there's no openly-accessible national database that documents these opposition reasons or quantifies their impact on our decarbonization goals. This is where our research comes in.

Our Research Approach

To understand the sentiments towards renewable energy projects, we're embarking on a detailed analysis of the scope, scale, and nature of both positive and negative sentiment surrounding utility-scale renewable energy projects in the U.S.